Blown Plans
by PrincessGuardGoat
Summary: It's Castle's birthday, and he knows Kate has plans for him, but when an accidental explosion in the morgue leaves him with blown plans and an unwanted houseguest, he and Kate are forced to find more...creative ways to celebrate.
1. Chapter 1

Blown Plans

By: S.K. Knight, Zanna Kellett, and AnnMarie Vanderhoof

**A/N:**

**S.K. Knight (DetectiveKateBeckettCastle): Hi, guys! Welcome to mine, Zanna and Ann's first fanfic together! Let me just warn you now, it's gonna be one crazy ride! Worry not, shippers, there's plenty of Caskett lovin' too! Enjoy! PS The case at the beginning is insignificant LOL**

**Ann (AnnVand): Hello, guys! It's my first time doing a joint fic & I'm really excited. Each of our styles is a little different & each chapter will be written by a different author. Hope you enjoy!**

**Zanna (ZannaKellett): Well hey there darlin'. Thanks for looking at our fic. I'm super excited to write with these two ladies because they are just crazy awesome and I hope you have a blast as you follow our little adventure! **

Chapter 1

Kate knew who had come in before the to-go cup even touched her desk, and she smiled while biting her lip.  
"Hey."  
Castle took his seat next to her, smirking. "Why hello, Detective Beckett, is someone forgetting what day it happens to be?"  
Kate's looked up at him, a blank expression painting her features. "What day is it? I have no idea." She liked how crestfallen his face became at her response. It was fun to tease her boyfriend. If there was one thing she knew about Richard Castle, it was that he was positively the easiest mark on the planet, at least, when it came to her.  
"You really forgot?" he asked, frowning unhappily as if he we a five year old whose mother told him he couldn't have the toy he so desperately wanted.  
"Sheesh, Castle, lighten up. I know it's your birthday. Besides, I have plans." She donned a saucy smirk, the one that made him melt like butter everytime. He cleared his throat, feeling heat rise in his cheeks.  
"You…you do?" he stuttered.  
She smiled and leaned in close. "And I have a feeling you're gonna like them."  
"Can you tell me what they are?" he asked, once he regained normal speech function. Just then, her desk phone rang, and she covered it as she picked it up. "Now what fun would that be, Castle?"  
He narrowed his eyes at her playfully.  
"Beckett." She said to the person on the phone and listened as they described a murder, and after a few minutes, she hung up. "Cheer up, Castle, we have a murder."  
He lowered his voice. "I would've rather stayed in bed with you this morning doing things we can't talk about."  
She bit her lip. "We can't always get what we want, Cas, let's go."  
She rose from her chair and signalled to Esposito and Ryan. Castle followed, rather dejectedly.

* * *

"What've we got, Perlmutter?" Beckett questioned, making her way over to the Central Park bench on which the corpse sat, cold and still.  
_Perlmutter, this birthday just keeps getting better and better._ Castle thought bitterly.  
Perlmutter turned his attention back to the corpse: A dark haired woman in a business suit, and then looked up at Beckett. "White female, approximately twenty to twenty three years old, gunshot through the back of her head, execution style."  
"Any ID?" Beckett asked, and he handed it to her. "Clare Thomas, twenty two." She read.  
"I'll know more when I get her on the table." Perlmutter assured her.  
"Ryan, Espo, canvas and find out if anyone saw or heard anything unusual." Beckett commanded.  
"You got it." Ryan said and he and Esposito started the interviews.  
"Castle, you're with me. We have to talk to Clare's friend, Emily Peterson. She found Clare this morning." Beckett informed him. They made their way over to the distraught young woman in a similar suit. "Emily," Beckett began gently, "I'm Detective Kate Beckett, NYPD. We're here to find out what happened to Clare."  
Emily sniffed and wiped off her face which was read from crying. "Hi."  
Beckett led her to a bench and they sat down. "What happened this morning?"  
"I got a text from Clare this morning saying to meet her in the park and that she needed to talk. When I got here," Emily's eyes watered with fresh tears, "she was dead."  
"What did she want to talk about?" Beckett queried.  
"I think she might've been pregnant. She and her husband had been trying a long time." Emily answered.  
"What's her husband's name?" Beckett asked.  
"Jason Thomas." Emily answered.  
"Thank you." Beckett told her, and she and Castle made their way back to the 12th.

* * *

Once they got back to the precinct, Ryan and Esposito provided their own evidence. A few minutes later, Beckett's phone lit up with a text.  
"Perlmutter's got something." she said.  
Castle sighed. "Okay."  
This was the first time in Castle's life he wanted a case to be over. He wanted to spend his birthday with his girlfriend and see what she had planned for him, but this case was going painfully slow.  
On the way down to the morgue, Castle tried fruitlessly to pester Kate for more details. "Just one hint."  
"No, Castle." She answered, slightly pleased at his curiosity.  
"Please? I'll behave."  
"You never behave, why start now?"  
"Touché, Detective, touché. Please?"  
She turned to face him a few steps away from the morgue. "You're not going to stop until I tell you, are you?"  
He resisted the urge to pull her closer and decided on gulping instead. "Well…I…um, that was the overall…"  
She smiled and leaned up to his ear. "What if I told you…the plan was a bath? Just the two of us…candles…nothing on but bubbles…"  
Castle's cheeks grew hot for the second time that day. "Well…Kate… I…"  
She had already smiled and walked into the morgue, and he followed, biting his hand before going in. "Well, if it isn't Detective Beckett and her vigilante writer attempting to masquerade as a cop, which he clearly is not." Perlmutter said.  
"Good day to you too, Perlmutter." Castle replied in a less than pleased tone.  
"It would be a good day, if you'd decided to stay home, but we can't all get what we want, can we?" Perlmutter replied.  
Beckett quickly interrupted. "What was the call for?" "  
The call, Detective, was because…"  
Castle didn't hear anything after that, allowed himself to drift into a dream.  
_The silk white robe slipped off her shoulders as he watched her step into the tub. She sat down, bubbles rising up to her chest.  
"Castle…" she purred seductively, and he could feel himself losing what little control he had. Before he knew it, he was in the tub too, and she was straddling him, skin against skin, soapy bubbles all over them. Her caramel colored locks were pulled up into a messy bun. She leaned down and pressed seductive kisses to the sweet spots on his neck.  
"Kate…" he groaned, reaching up to ghost her chest with his fingers, just wanting to touch her. He felt her slick, smooth skin underneath his fingers and was satisfied when she moaned. It was the sexiest sound he'd ever heard her make, and he tried to ignore the growing feeling he felt in his lower region. He breathed the smell of cherry shampoo and vanilla candles. She smirked and bit the spot on his neck where it met his collarbone. He leaned up to kiss her neck, just below her chin. Her lips parted slightly while her eyes closed.  
"I want you, Kate." He growled softly in her ear.  
"Then take me." She whispered back.  
That was the last straw for Castle; he let her get out dry off. She wrapped a towel around her body and he pulled her close after he got out. He reached up to her bun and undid it, letting her hair fall like a halo around her shoulders. He lifted her up into his arms and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He put his mouth against hers, waiting until she opened it. When she did, their tongues met. He carried her to her bed and laid her down, breaking the kiss.  
"Kate?" he said.  
"Yeah?" she panted slightly.  
"You look beautiful, but the towel needs to go." He said, taking it off of her.  
The only things heard for the rest of the night were Beckett's sighs of "Castle…Castle…Castle…"  
_"Castle!" He was ripped from his dream by Beckett's harsh reprimand and a crash. He barely had time to dive under the autopsy table before the morgue exploded. When the dust cleared, he franticly searched around the morgue for his girlfriend and Dr. Perlmutter. He got to his feet, coughing violently, careful not to touch the yellow liquid or the glass from the vial he had broken.  
"Beckett? Perlmutter?" he called, worried.  
He searched further through the rubble of the morgue. He heard a cough and rushed toward it. Perlmutter was lying under a few rocks, some cuts and scratches on his head. Castle pulled the rocks off him and helped him up.  
"Castle…you idiot. " Perlmutter coughed, frowning.  
Castle ignored him. "Where's Beckett?"  
"That…" Perlmutter went into another coughing fit, "was a very dangerous chemical you knocked over. You could've killed us."  
"Where's Beckett?" Castle repeated, sterner.  
"I saw her dive under an autopsy table just as it blew." He answered. Castle rushed off to find her. After a bit of a search, he found her lying under an autopsy table, a shallow gash on her forehead. "Kate…Kate…" he breathed, and his heart sank into his stomach.  
He stayed with her after he called an ambulance for her and Perlmutter. When it arrived, he went with them, telling himself she would be okay. He only hoped he was right.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! This is Ann, and this is my first chapter of our little tale. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Castle sat in the waiting room of the ER, head in his hands. What had he done? Both Kate and Perlmutter had been taken back to be examined, he only hoped his moment of carelessness hadn't caused any permanent damage.

He sat looking at the band-aid on his arm, bright green with Scooby-doo on it. Figures, he would cause an explosion, and be the only one to walk away with nothing more than a scratch.

He looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. "Doctor, how is Kate? Is she ok?"

The doctor smiled. "She is fine, Mr Castle. A mild concussion, and a few scrapes, nothing serious. A few days of rest and she should be good as new."

"Oh, thank God!" He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Unfortunately, your other friend wasn't so lucky."

Castle looked at him confused. Friend? Oh, right, Perlmutter. "Perlmutter? Is he ok? He talked to me after the accident, he seemed alright."

"It's not anything life threatening, but his injuries were more serious than Ms Beckett's."

"How much more serious?" Castle wasn't a big fan of the ME, but he didn't wish him ill either.

"Mr Perlmutter sustained a sprained wrist when he fell and the lab table crushed his leg. It's nothing life threatening, but he will need to have someone take care of him for a while."

"That sounds like a great job for you, Mr Castle." Castle had never seen Gates look so angry, even after he had smashed her creepy dolls.

"Sir, I..."

"Don't Sir me, Mr Castle. Your negligence caused this situation, you are expected to take responsibility for the consequences." She gave him a glare that made Beckett's look seem like a flirty smile. What was with these women and their death glares? Must be something in their genes that gives them the ability to immobilize you with just one look.

"You're right, Sir, this was my fault. I will make some calls and get him a home health aid right away."

Gates put up her hand as he reached for his phone. "No, Mr Castle, you may want to save your money. You're going to need it to pay for the morgue and expensive equipment that you just destroyed. Besides, it might be good for you to learn that your money and contacts won't always be able to save you."

"So what are you suggesting, Sir?"

"I'm not suggesting anything. I am telling you that Mr Perlmutter will be coming to stay with you while he recovers. Don't look so sad, Castle, it will give you something to do during your suspension from the precinct."

Castle's jaw dropped. "Suspended?"

"Would you prefer banned for life? Because that was my recommendation, but those higher up seemed to have other ideas. You are hereby on suspension until Mr Perlmutter has been cleared to come back to work. Until such time, he will be staying with you, and you will take care of whatever he needs."

"How long will that take?" Castle looked to the doctor, praying it was only a few days.

"With a break like his, I'd say about six weeks at least." The doctor said, as he excused himself.

Castle could have sworn he saw a hint of a grin on the Captain's face. Damn she was enjoying this.

"What about Beckett?"

"What about her, Mr Castle? She didn't blow up my morgue. The doctor has given her a few days off to rest, and then she will be back at work. Don't give me that look. She is a perfectly capable detective, she can do her job without you, you know." She gave him a pointed look. "Now, I suggest you start making arrangements for your new house guest." With that, she headed down the hallway and out of sight, leaving a stunned Castle behind her.

Once he had regained his senses, he made his way to Kate's room. God she was going to kill him for this. What a birthday! She was just fixing her shirt as the doctor finished his exam.

"Well, Detective Beckett, lungs are still sounding good, hearing and vision are ok, and your concussion symptoms seem to be improving, I think we can go ahead and send you home. Do you have someone at home that can check on you a few times tonight, just to be safe?"

She glanced at Castle. "Yeah, I think I can find someone."

Great, now he needed to take care of Kate and Perlmutter. How was he going to explain all of this to her? Better yet, what were they going to tell Perlmutter about them? God, what a mess!

"Good! I'll just go grab your discharge papers, and you'll be all set," the doctor said as he left the room.

"About tonight, Kate..."

"Castle, you blew up the morgue! If you think you are getting sex of any kind tonight, birthday or not, you are sadly mistaken."

He hung his head. Great! One more thing to add to the list of why this was the worst birthday ever. "That wasn't what I was thinking about, actually."

Beckett looked at him, "then what, Castle? My head hurts, I really just want to go back to the loft and lie down for a while."

"See, that's the thing. I've kinda got someone staying with me." He braced himself for the questions he knew would be coming.

"A guest? Who?" Beckett looked at him, clearly agitated.

"Perlmutter," he mumbled.

"Excuse me?" She said, straining to hear what he said.

"Perlmutter is staying with me." He looked at her, with eyes full of apology.

"Perlmutter? How hard did I hit my head?" Beckett stared at him like he'd lost his mind.

"That's my punishment from Gates. Perlmutter sprained his wrist and broke his leg in the explosion. Since it was my fault, Gates has ordered that he stay with me until he's well enough to return to work, and I'm on suspension from the precinct until then." He looked at her with big, sad eyes, like a child wrongly accused of eating the last cookie.

"Are you kidding me? How long?" Beckett was shocked.

He took a breath, "six weeks," he said bracing for impact.

"Six weeks! That's insane! He can't stay with us for six weeks!"

"Calm down please, Kate. It's not good for your head to get your blood pressure up. Besides, I'm not happy about it either, but I have no choice. Anyway, I can see if Alexis or mother can come stay with you at your place tonight, and you won't have to deal with him."

"No."

"No, what?"

"No, I'm not going to my apartment."

"But Perlmutter..."

"I don't care."

"How hard did you hit your head? If you stay with me, he'll know about us."

"I don't care. I'm not spending the next six weeks without you. She may be able to make you stay away from the precinct, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let her keep you away from me for six weeks."

He gave her a soft smile. "I'd miss you too."

She rolled her eyes, and quickly regretted it. Damn headache. "Look, Perlmutter is even more antisocial than Gates. We just explain to him that our personal life is just that, personal, and he is to keep anything that happens at the loft to himself."

"But he hates me. He'd like me gone even more than Gates!"

"Yeah, but he likes me. Plus, I carry a gun, so don't worry about it. However, your birthday plans are definitely going to have to be postponed." She tangled her fingers with his, giving him a sad look.

"I'm sorry. This is all my fault. Who keeps explosive chemicals just laying around anyway?"

"People who don't expect you to be walking around like a zombie. What was with you anyway? That was klutzy, even for you."

He could feel the heat in his cheeks as he answered a bit embarrassed. "I was a bit distracted."

"Are you kidding me? You blew up the morgue because you were fantasizing about us? Castle!" She just shook her head. What was she going to do with this man.

Just then the doctor returned with her discharge papers. "Oh, Mr Castle, I was also asked to have you sign these."

Castle looked at the papers the doctor handed him. "What are these?"

"Release forms for Mr Perlmutter. He is being turned over to your care, this just states that you will be taking full responsibility for him while he recovers. Your Captain asked to have you sign them."

Castle mumbled as he signed the forms. Not even the times he'd done book signings, where he had to sign his name until his hand was cramped and sore, was scrawling his own signature so painful.

As Beckett and Castle stepped out of the room, a nurse came pushing a surly looking Perlmutter in a wheelchair. Castle tried his best to be friendly. "Well, it looks like you're going to be coming to stay at Casa de Castle for a few days." He smiled at the ME, as best he could.

"Lucky me. Survived an explosion, just to be tortured. Can't wait."

Beckett and Castle shared a look. This was going to be a long six weeks.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So... I'm Zanna and I'm a Stanaholic. Wait. Isn't that the intro for something else?

* * *

"I can't believe you're giving him _our _room. Our bed, Castle!"

"Well he can't sleep upstairs. Not with that leg. It'll be okay – I've moved all our stuff into the guest room and it's almost as big as mine."

"Still... it's _weird_."

"It's weird no matter what."

They shook out the clean sheet and tucked it onto the bed. Kate sat down as Rick put out the pillows and comforter.

"Why don't you go on upstairs?" he suggested to his dejected girlfriend. "I'll bring you up some water and painkillers in a minute or two."

Kate sighed. "Fine. But it had better be just a minute or I'm coming down to get you, Perlmutter or no Perlmutter."

"Okay, okay. I'll be quick."

"You better..." she said as she left the room. She passed a drowsy looking ME in the hallway; he was drooping in his wheelchair. She took the stairs slowly, her head still throbbing. This was going to be a long night. And she'd had such wonderful plans for how this birthday was going to turn out... She missed a step and had to grab the handrail to stop herself from falling. Wow. Okay, so maybe she shouldn't be _so _angry with Castle for his slip earlier in the day.

Wait – she was defending him? She had concussion! He had just gotten them landed with Perlmutter for _six whole weeks_! She groaned as she reached the top of the stairs and went into the guest room to lie down.

Rick put on his best fake smile as he went to get Perlmutter from the main room. The grumpy old man just grunted when he wheeled the chair through to the bedroom. They had crutches but Perlmutter mumbled that he was too tired. Trying not to let his face show how horrible he was finding it, Rick helped him out of the chair and into bed. He put the crutches and chair both in easy reach of his patient and pointed out the bathroom.

"Not an idiot," Perlmutter mumbled. "Go 'way n let me sleep."

Rick was only too happy to oblige. He left the room and fetched Kate's water and meds. She was waiting for him; she'd propped herself up with pillows and had prepared her best death glare to train on him as soon as he came through the door. He visibly shrank about an inch.

"I'm sorry," he said yet again.

"I know you are," she said sternly. "I'm still angry."

"How angry?" he asked, handing her the water and pills. She took them and swallowed them down quickly, wincing as her head twinged again. She watched him suffer for about another twenty seconds before she flashed him a little smile.

"Cheer up, Castle. You look like a kicked puppy."

"I'm sorry, I just... I completely messed it up. The whole day."

"The day isn't quite over yet."

"It's pretty close. And how could we... you said no sex."

"And I meant it," she said a little regretfully. "But I'm sure we could do something to make the day at least a little memorable in a positive way."

"Please tell me you have an idea," he said, sitting down on the bed beside her. She grinned.

"I'm going to need about half an hour for the painkillers to kick in. You can go order us some food and phone your daughter, I know she'll be wanting to speak to you. And then... I'll teach you how to make birthday cake."

"I already know how to make birthday cake."

"Not this kind you don't."

* * *

Kate smiled at Rick as she walked downstairs to meet him in the main room. The painkillers were working nicely and she was feeling almost well, though still a little shaken. She'd been involved in far more than her fair share of explosions/near explosions, even for a cop.

She probably knew her way around the kitchen better than Rick; he grinned at this thought. Though she hadn't officially moved in, it was getting close. She took out a bowl and found the right ingredients, turning on the oven to preheat. Rick watched her, enjoying her movements. She had changed into yoga pants and a vest top so there was plenty for him to admire.

Kate was about to measure some sugar into the bowl when there was a shout from the bedroom. Rick groaned.

"I thought he was going to sleep at least until morning," he said unhappily.

"Me too. Oh well, you'd better go and see what he wants."

"_I'd _better. Aren't you coming?"

Kate laughed. "This is your mess, Castle. I'm making a cake. Just go help him, be quick, and come back so I can teach you."

"Fine," Rick sighed and hurried to his bedroom. Perlmutter was sitting up on the bed looking totally alert and awake.

"What do you need?" Rick asked resignedly.

"Nothing much. I'm bored."

"I can offer you a book to read?"

"I don't read."

Hiding his horror, Rick tried some other suggestions. "TV? A puzzle? My games console-"

At this Perlmutter smiled. "I wouldn't mind trying out guitar hero," he said.

"What, with your wrist?" Rick asked, hoping to dissuade the older man.

"I'll manage," Perlmutter said with a sly smile.

Rick resisted the temptation to laugh and said he would bring the set through to the bedroom TV. He plugged everything in and winced as Perlmutter turned the volume up to maximum.

"Maybe a little quieter?" he suggested.

"The explosion weakened my hearing," Perlmutter said with a grin.

"You seemed to be hearing me fine earlier," Rick muttered. Perlmutter gave him a glare which showed he had heard that, too.

Rick went back into the main room where Kate just stared at him with her fingers in her ears. He went to get some cotton buds but the noise was still atrocious. As well as being incredibly loud, Perlmutter was terrible at guitar hero. The clashing notes and screeching tricks would have been enough to drive anyone without a headache crazy, let alone Kate, who felt as though there was going to be another explosion – her brain.

With a final exasperated huff at Rick, she dumped the bowl of half-done cake mix in the sink and went upstairs, burying her head under the pillow and comforter. Even this protection didn't quite drown out the sound. Kate was beginning to reconsider her promise to stay with Rick while he had this unwanted visitor.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading, please review!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi, it's Sam (S.K. Knight) and I'm writing Chapter 4. I also wrote Chapter 1 but forgot to put it. Hehe. :D Hope you enjoy this chapter, it goes downhill even more from here, folks, but as with most fics, it's gotta get worse before it gets better. Thanks for the support!**

* * *

Castle hated the way this day was going: from bad to abysmal. First, he was forced to entertain the wishes of an injured Perlmutter, also known as the "House Guest from Hell" and secondly, his plans with his girlfriend were blown, literally. His only cheerful thought was that he still had a few hours left to make it up to Kate and salvage what remained of their plans. So, in light of that, he had set up a special dinner, complete with candlelight. It was the epitome of all romantic gestures.  
He walked upstairs and crept up to the room and saw that Kate had fallen asleep, likely due to her painkillers and the eventual ceasing of the pounding guitar riffs coming from the old ME's bedroom.  
She looked beautiful sleeping, so much so that it almost hurt him to wake her. Her golden brown hair was spread out on the pillow on one side, and one arm was underneath it.  
"Kate." He said gently, tentatively reaching to touch her arm. He didn't want to startle her in case she accidently shot him.  
Her eyes opened and she rolled over, wincing as another pain shot through her head. This damn headache was getting on her last nerve, almost as much as Perlmutter was.  
Castle sensed his girlfriend's pain. "You need a painkiller, Kate?"  
"Yeah." She answered, slowly pushing herself up into a sitting position. He helped her put the pillows behind her and went downstairs to grab her some water and medicine.  
When he came back, he handed them to her and she drank some water, swallowing the pill hurriedly.  
She smiled gratefully, waiting for it to kick in. "Thanks."  
"Always." He said with sincerity.  
"So, why did you wake me up?" she questioned.  
He took her hand in his. "About that…listen, Kate. I know this day didn't go exactly as you planned and that was entirely my fault, but I was hoping you'd let me…make it up to you."  
She smirked. "What did you have in mind?"  
He brought her hand to his lips and smiled. "Dinner…and a movie."  
She looked perplexed. "Here?"  
Castle grinned. "Yes, right after Dr. McGrouchyPants falls asleep. I promise there'll be no interruptions. Not even Gates herself could keep me from spending time with you."  
She smiled briefly but then it dropped. "Castle, he won't leave us alone."  
Castle smiled as he heard the door shut in Perlmutter's room. "See? He just went to bed. No interruptions. Come downstairs with me, Detective, and see what I have planned for us." He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.  
"Ok." She said, getting up and following him downstairs.  
When she saw what was downstairs, she let out a gasp. There were candles all around the room, giving off a soft glow that was the perfect romantic ambiance. The glass coffee table had a table cloth on it now and there were pillows next to it on the floor.  
"Wow, Castle," she breathed. "Did this take you all day?"  
"Just about." He told her proudly. She smelt fresh Chinese take-out on the table and she grinned. He took her hand and led her to the pillows, and she sat criss-cross on it, starting to eat.  
"This is gorgeous, thank you." She said, and he joined her on the other pillow.  
He smiled warmly at her. "It's all for you, Beckett. Plus, we never got to celebrate. Again, totally my fault."  
Suddenly, a whiny shout arose from the master bedroom.  
Castle groaned unhappily. "What does he want?"  
Beckett rolled her eyes, cursing herself for not remembering her pain. "Who knows? You better go see."  
Castle sighed. "I'll be right back, I swear."  
Beckett smirked. "You better, you owe me."  
He stopped midway to the door to grin at her. "You know me, Detective, I always pay my debts."  
She blushed as he headed for the bedroom.  
"What do you want now, Perlmutter?" Castle questioned a slight edge to his tone.  
"I need medicine;" the old doctor demanded, "my arm is killing me."  
"Fine." Castle muttered, and he shuffled off to get the medicine. When he returned, Perlmutter was looking at files. He downed the pills with the water quickly.  
"Do you need anything else?" Castle asked, hoping the answer was no.  
"Yes," Perlmutter began. _Damn,_ Castle thought. "I need you to stay out of my light. I'm trying to catch up on reports up here"  
"With pleasure, Dr. Hyde." Castle muttered as he made his way back to Kate.  
He sat down on the pillow again, seeing that Beckett had finished her dinner.  
He finished his and then smiled. "Shall we start the movie? We can watch anything you want."  
Kate smiled. "Hmm, Night of the Zombies?"  
"Yet another reason why I am in love with you." Castle said, smirking as he popped the DVD in and Kate moved to the couch. He sat with her and cuddled her close.  
A few minutes into the movie, another whiny cry arose. "Castle!"  
Beckett huffed impatiently. "Go see what he wants…again."  
Castle frowned. "Do I have to?"  
Beckett gave him a look. "It was Gates' orders. If you wanna continue working with me at the 12th, yes, you do."  
"The things I do for love." Castle muttered, heading off to see what he wanted now.  
When Castle entered, Perlmutter frowned. "I need to use the bathroom."  
Castle tried to hide his disgust but failed. "I have to help you with that?"  
"_Yes_, numbskull, I have a bad wrist." Perlmutter said irritably.  
Castle made a disgusted face and helped him into his wheelchair, to the bathroom, and back into bed.  
Castle put on a fake smile. "Is there anything else?"  
"No." Perlmutter said flatly.  
Castle made his way to the living room yet again and cuddled with Beckett. "He's like a fussy three year old. Maybe he'll finally sleep."  
Beckett frowned, looking at the screen. "Let's hope."  
An hour later, the movie ended and they hadn't heard a word out of Perlmutter. Castle and Beckett faced each other on the couch, wine glasses in hand.  
Castle smirked. "You know Detective; there is _one_ thing we haven't done to celebrate."  
Beckett frowned. "No sex tonight, Cas, my head hurts."  
"Who said anything about sex? I just wanted a few birthday kisses." Castle whispered, smile lighting up his ruggedly handsome features.  
"Mmm, ok. We can try." Beckett agreed, and Castle leaned in, putting a hand in her hair, parting her lips with his. She moaned in his mouth as their tongues met. She felt the warm heat of his breath in her mouth and leaned over him more, trying to get closer. He was just about to deepen it when a thump startled the couple apart. Kate pulled back, shaking a little.  
He stroked her hair. "Ssh, Kate, it's ok. It's nothing. I'm here."  
Her shaking lessened. "I'm going to bed."  
"Ok, I'll be there in a minute." He said, going to check on Perlmutter. He found him on the floor and quickly helped him up and into bed again.  
"Are you ok?!" Castle asked.  
"Yes, yes, I'm fine. But I could've been injured more due to your gross negligence, in which case, I would've had to report you to Captain Gates." Perlmutter snapped.  
"Is there anything you need before I go to bed?" Castle asked.  
"Yes, go away so I can sleep." Perlmutter answered harshly.  
Castle shut out the light and went to settle in bed with Kate, thankful for the peace and quiet.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, it's Ann. Here's the next chapter of our little tale! Enjoy!**

* * *

Castle trudged his way up the stairs. What a disaster of a day. All he wanted was a little time with Kate for his birthday, and now he'd be lucky if she even talked to him. He understood her frustration, he was frustrated too. What a mess! Then there was his feelings of guilt over being the cause of her being hurt. He hated when she was in pain, and hated even more that he'd caused it.

He stepped into the guest room to find her still awake. "Did you get him settled?"

"Yeah, the idiot fell on his face trying to put on his pajamas." He ran his hand through his hair, too annoyed to even laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.

Beckett looked at him, and almost felt sorry for him, it was his birthday after all. "Come here, Castle." She scooted over, making room for him in the bed. It wasn't near as big as the bed in his room, so sleeping would be a bit cozier tonight.

He stripped down to his boxers, and slid in next to her. He noticed she was wearing one of his oversized t-shirts over a pair of shorts. She knew he loved seeing her in his clothes, and as they had company, this was as sexy as it was going to get. He lie down next to her, resting his head on her side, curled up to her, pouting like a little boy. She softly ran her fingers soothingly through his hair.

"Rough day, huh?"

"The worst." He mumbled.

"I'm sorry your birthday got so messed up." She bent down and kissed his head, careful not to move too quickly and aggravate her own.

"It's my own fault." He pouted.

"Castle, it was an accident. Stop blaming yourself, and look on the bright side."

"What bright side?"

"We're all ok, no serious injuries."

"Yeah, I guess. But I hurt you, Kate. I never want to hurt you. And I got us stuck with Perlmutter."

She had never seen him so dejected, it broke her heart.

"Castle, look at me." She tipped his face up until his eyes met hers. "I'm fine, it's just a concussion. No long term damage. And Perlmutter is a pain, but it's just a few weeks. It will be ok. I'm not mad, I promise. Now come here and give me a proper kiss before he steals you again."

She laughed as he came up to kiss her, some of the Castle sparkle returning to his eyes.

"I don't deserve you, Kate."

"You're wrong, Castle." He looked at her questioningly. "As maddening, challenging, and frustrating as I can be, you definitely deserve me." This caused them both to laugh.

"I guess you're right, I have been bad enough to warrant a lifetime of dealing with you." He laughed. Then his eyes went wide as her breath hitched, and they both realized what he had just implied. He wanted to be with her forever.

She bit her lip as she debated how to respond, as he sat, holding his breath, waiting to see how much damage he'd done. A small smile came to her lips and the teasing spark returned to her eyes.

"You must have been a pretty bad boy then." She laughed. The only question is, what did I do to deserve that?"

He breathed a sigh of relief, and his heart sung. She really was in this as much as he was.

"I don't know, but whatever it was, I'm glad you did it." He leaned down and kissed her.

"Me too, Castle. Me too." She pulled him back in for another passionate kiss. As the kiss got more heated, and pulses started racing, Kate moaned, and not the good kind.

"Shit, Kate, I'm sorry. Your head." Castle pulled back, looking at her pained expression.

"It's ok, we both got a bit carried away." She gave him another quick peck on the lips. "Let's try to get some sleep, ok?"

"Ok." He smiled at her and gave her one last kiss as he settled into bed, pulling her into his arms. She snuggled back against him, loving the way their bodies fit perfectly together, like they were made for each other. "Goodnight, birthday boy," she whispered to him.

"Goodnight, Kate." He kisses her shoulder as they both faded off to sleep.

* * *

Castle startled awake at the noise. What the hell was that? He sat bolt upright, trying to shake the fog from his brain. There was a loud banging sound coming from downstairs. He glanced over to Kate's side of the bed, not seeing her, he figured she must have went down to investigate.

As he moved the covers to crawl out of bed, a movement caught his eye. He blinked trying to focus in the dark. Then he saw her. Kate, huddled in the corner, of the bed, knees tight against her chest, rocking.

"Kate," he whispered."Kate, honey, what's wrong?" He couldn't tell if she was awake or not. Her head was bowed over her knees so he couldn't see her face. He didn't want to startle her, but he didn't know if she heard him over the loud banging. What the hell was that noise? Oh well, it would have to wait. If it was an intruder, maybe he would run away after one brush with Perlmutter.

"Kate," he tried again, a little louder, this time touching her arm. She flinched away from him, letting out a whimper like a small puppy. He had never seen her like this.

The banging downstairs stopped. Finally! It was quiet now, so he tried again. "Kate, it's me, baby. Wake up." He swallowed as he tried touching her again. Her head shot up, eyes wide and full of tears.

"Kate, are you ok?" Castle looked deep into her eyes, seeing she was awake, but her eyes were full of a terror he'd never seen before.

She blinked, and looked at him, breath coming fast and heavy. Her eyes darted around the room, like a trapped animal. He continued whispering her name until her eyes finally landed on his face, his eyes full of concern.

"Kate, talk to me. What's wrong?"

She sat staring at him, blinked a few times and then threw herself into his arms sobbing uncontrollably. He was shocked, she had never allowed him to see her so vulnerable, he wasn't sure what to do, so he just held her. Stroking her back soothingly, while she cried into his chest.

"It's ok, Kate. You're ok. I'm right here," he repeated over and over. Slowly her breathing returned to normal and she tilted her tear stained face to look up at him.

"I'm sorry, Castle," she sniffed as she started to pull away. He held her tighter.

"For what?" His own heart rate was slowly returning to normal. He had been so scared her concussion had done severe damage.

"For waking you up. For freaking out like this," she bowed her head, clearly embarrassed.

"Hey, don't be sorry. I was just worried about you. Are you ok? What happened? Did you have a nightmare?" He continued lovingly stroking her back as he held her.

"I'm not sure. I think I might have been having a nightmare, but then a banging sound woke me up, and all I could see was the explosion, and laying on the cold ground. Then I was back in the cemetery, after..."

"Oh, Kate." He held her tighter. She didn't have to finish that sentence, he knew. The explosion had triggered a relapse of her PTSD, she was reliving her shooting all over again. Dammit! What had he done to her.

"It's ok, you're ok. I promise." He wiped a tear from her face and kissed her forehead.

"I know I am. You're here."

"Do you think you need to see Dr Burke?" He wondered how much of a set back this would be for her.

"I think I'll be ok." He frowned at her. "I promise, if it happens again or the nightmares continue, I'll call him." She kisses his cheek reassuringly.

"You're sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine. It's just the PTSD, I've learned to deal with it. It just snuck up on me this time."

He sat quietly, studying her face. "What is it, Castle?"

"Is this what you went through that whole time? After the shooting, did this happen a lot?"

She sighed and looked at her lap. She had never really talked about her recovery period. It had always been a sore spot between them, after she had shut him out the way she had. She decided to tell him the truth.

"Yeah. It happened almost every night for the first few months, then lessened as time went on and therapy helped." She saw the pain in his eyes and grabbed his hand. "There's nothing you could have done, and at the time I would have been to stubborn to let you anyway. Please," she tipped his face so she could see his eyes. "Don't beat yourself up about the past. You can't change it, you aren't to blame, and you're here now. That's all that matters."

She snuggled into his chest as he stroked her hair. "Thank you, Kate."

"For what?" She looked up at him.

He smiled at her. "For letting me be here now."

She smiled back at him. "Always."

He gave her a soft kiss, as she snuggles into him again, allowing his warmth to comfort her.

"Did you hear banging too, or was that just in my head?" She asked.

"Shit! Perlmutter!" Castle looked at her, eyes wide. She moved off of him and motioned for him to go. He ran off down the stairs to see what all the commotion had been about. He swore to himself that if that if that man had done something stupid that caused her to panic like that, he'd throttle him himself.


End file.
